Card index



July 12, 1932. H 3 MCGEE 1,866,815

CARD INDEX Filed June 19, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet l ins V ".'..ar...'-n....

July 12, 1932. H, s MGGEE 1,866,815

CARD INDEX Filed June 19, 1950 3 SheetsSheet 2 Patented July 12, 1932 UNITED STATES HENRY S. MGGEE, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE CARD INDEX Application filed June 19,

This invention relates to card indexes of that type which includes a frame having opposed channelways and a plurality of cards interchangeably supported on carriers having ends disposed in said channelways, sald cards having an overlapping relation re lative to each other, and said cards being p1votally sustained, so that by swinging upwardly the cards above any desired card, the sub- 1o ject matter on said card will be exposed to view, and such card if folded, may be opened out and the matter on such opened portion thereby, be exposed to view. This inven tion particularly relates to the means where- 1 by a plurality of such frames may be supported for ready inspection of the cards thereon, and whereby any frame may be individually positioned and supported in such manner, that the cards thereon are accessible for detailed inspection and/or for the purpose of making additional entries thereon.

This invention further relates to the detail of the sheet carriers, and the means by which they are attached and retained in the opposite guides of the frames.

The objects of my invention are to pro vide means for supporting a plurality of frames whereby each of said frames may be individually accessible eitherfor casual inspection or for work on the cards carried thereby; and to provide an improved means for supporting and spacing the cards in such frames.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects areaccomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will readily be understood fromthe following specification on reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation through the frame-support showing a face View of one of the frames with a plurality of card carriers thereon and with cards on a limited number of such carriers, this view also showing an edge view of one of the frames swung into position and supported for work to be done on the cards carried thereby;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional detail taken as on the line II of Fig. 1, showing a frag- 1930. Serial No. 462,334.

mentary portion of a. card carrier unit and its relation to one channel of the frame;

Fig. 3 is a front View of a card carrier;

Fig. i is a corresponding side view of the same unit, both of these views being on a somewhat larger scale than Fig. l;

, Fig. 5 is a section on the lineV-V of Figs. 3 and 4;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the frame-support with a plurality of frames supported therem;

Fig. 7 is a corresponding front elevation of the upper portion of the same support and frames;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation corresponding to Fig. 1, and showing in dotted lines one of the frames in the first position to which it is moved in placing it for work on the cards; and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken as on the line IXIX of Fig. 8.

Referring now to the drawings in which the'various parts are indicated by numerals, 10 is a frame having outwardly projecting channel shaped sides 11, in which the carrier units are disposed. Each of these units comprises an elongated fiat strip of resilient metal 12, having its opposite ends formed into loops 13. These loops 13 are each provided with a slot 14:, the slot of one loop facing that of the other, the two slots being adapted to receive and hold the opposite ends of a straight wire or bar 15 on which a card 16 is hung. In Fig. 2, the loop 13 extends outward from the strip, whereas in Figs. 3 and i it extends inward from the end, in either event however, the inner part of the loop is slotted and the outer part limits endwise movement of the carrier wires. The wires 15 are resilient, and are flexed to insert the ends thereof in the slots 14 or to remove them from the slots. Each of the carriers thus formed may be sprung into place in the guides 11 and when a number of them are so placed will present a plurality of equally spaced carrier wires on which cards may be supported in similarly equally spaced overlapping relation. Each card maybepunched with holes 17 through which the carrier wires 15 are threaded to support the card or since the carrier wires are small and have no enlargement on the ends thereof, the cards may be threaded thereon without the necessity of pre-punching holes therein. {In either event however, the hole for the carrier wires need be only big enough to pass the wire therethrough, {thus avoiding the necessity of punching a hole which might obliterate or interfere with data on the card 10 and at the same time more firmly positioning the card on the wire. A cardcthussupported is less liable to lateral displacement in the hold and also the hinge effect in swinging the card about the wire is much smoother and there is less liability of hanging or other interference in. turning the card.

Any wire maybe detached from its holder, a. card threaded thereon, and the wirethen be sprung backinto place firmly securing 10 the card carried ithereby in the holder and in the frame vby whichthe holder is supported. .Removal of ,a card is at any time easily effected by merely springing the wire.outeof-its;holder. It.will vbe further .netedgthat the carrie w res r s s li against a part of the frame so that when any .e dep ned 9P=f 1 the 1 1 rr 0 e making :an entry-thereon, such .card rests on asubstantially solid backing and there is littleorno in- .tcrferencesuchas is caused where the cards are spaced away from theframeby virtueof .thefactthatthe carrier wires do not lie solid- 1y .th'ere a gainst.

When a cardhasbeen removed the. carrier holder;mayalsqb removed nd the ma ing holders;be movedtogether to close up the gapicausedbysuch removal. Likewise, the carrier. holders may .be, moved. apart for the -,.insertion. of additional holders in the proper 4 iilphabetical; 2 pr. numerical sequence v of the cardsrwhich they carry.

. .Qrdinarily the carrierih olders whilereadily. movable. alo ngdthe channelways to permit such-shifting willpresentsufficientresistance lto -suchishiftingto prevent accidental shifti g in wordinary, use but should this not be Qfoundssutficient ,A he zlowenholder may be [readilybowedso that such .amQLInt oflresistance .as; may bel desired may thereby be se- E achvof thefigames is providedat its upper sendwith a transverserod 18, h av ing.down- WaIdIyctur-neden S 9-.tonmingve ticallydisposed. hinge..p ins. disposed laterally sli htly -.be.y.ond thesides 11.,of the frame. Duplicagrain of. the; ends is made solely in order that either, edge of a f rame may be supported whereby each frame may. be faced in .desired direction. :Only one of these pins-is used at :5 ..any one1t1me for supportinga frame. A similarceonstruction .be had .at the I opposite end ofthefrarne primarily-for; the purpose 1.01; forming alateigal support ,for thelower end ,oftheframe but such constructionill also r ,availctd invert the if; it be so desired.

th e .9

The support for the frames comprises preferably a transverse plate 20, having sides 21 turned out at right angles thereto thus forming in effect a wide shallow channel. Disposed through and supported by these sides is a transverse rod 22 on which rod a number of hinge bloeks 23 are disposed. Preferably :thegpace between thesides 21 is just suflicient to snugly receive an even number, twelve be ing shown, of these hinge blocks. Each hinge i block isprovidejd-adjacent one end with a horizontal hole therethrough which is adapted-to rotatably fit the transverse rods 22, and

is also provided adjacent the opposite end with a smaller vertical hole which is adapted t similar y, rec ve a hin Pin E e .ing transversely across the support-back 20,

is an angle shapedbar24 which supports the vhinge .blocks 23 in substantially horizontal position. A similar angle bar, disposed near the bottom end of the support-back forms ,a stop against which the lower ends of the .f mee u whe t ar s-ep e t y the hinge blocks.

pins v 19 are disposed substantially opposite the centers of the sides; or channels 11.

I If it be so desired, a cover plate .26 may be.

,hingedly securedi at the flipper end of each framelO as by the pivot pins 27. This cover plate -would normally cover .the, upper cards which were disposed-in the frame. It may .be turned upward to substantially the dotted 9 .in which position it serves v as ashelf .againstwhich the upper cards may be turned for making entries It will also be seen that the surface of this cover platewhen innorma-l position is sub- Sfiantial h flus Wi ht e sl rif e' t C nelways 11, sothat interference with one frame with the adjacent'frame engagement of an edge thereof with the channelway.

is prevented. At the bottom of the frame a transverse filler block 28 extending from channelwayto channelway may be provided for a similar-purpose and in addition to this purpose such filler block will absolutely prevent the carrier units from dropping out of the bottom of the channelways 11- Referring to Fig. 6, it will be noted that one-half of the frames are turned withtheir facesoutward to the right and the remaining half thereof are turned with their faces outward toward the left, those frames which lie on the right preferably facing to the right, whereas those which lie on the left face to the left. In so placing these frames one-half of them use the hinge pins 19, at one side of the frame and the others use the similar pins at the opposite sides of the frame. With the frame so hung should it be desired to casually refer to a card on any frame, the frames to the left thereof are pushed to the left and those to the right thereof are pushed to the right, such shifting to the right being shown in Fig. 6, from which figure also it is evident a that if the remaining frames shown were pushed to the left it would be easy to glance at a card in the first frame to the right.

If however, it is necessary to make more extended examination of a card or a number of cards, or if it is desired to make entries thereon, the frame carrying such card may be swung outward about the rod 22 to the dotted position lO-A shown in Fig. 8. The corresponding position of the associated parts being also indicated by affixing the letter A to each designating numeral. With the frame in such position it is turned over about the hinge pin into the horizontal position indicated by the numeral 11-A in Fig. 1, of course with the face side of the frame upward. It will be especially noted that where half of the frames are faced to the left, and half are faced to the right as shown in Fig. 6, the tops of at least one-half the frames form a support for the frame which has been so positioned.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a file, a frame-support, a horizontally disposed rod carried thereby, a plurality of hinge blocks mounted on and turnable about said rod, each of said blocks having a hole therethrough at right-angles to and axially spaced from said rod, and a plurality of card-supporting frames, each having a projecting hinge pin engaging a hole in a hinge block.

2. In a file, a frame-support, a horizontally disposed rod carried thereby, a hinge block mounted on and turnable about said rod, said block having a hole therethrough at rightangles to and axially spaced from said rod, and a card-supporting frame having a projecting hinge pin engaging the hole in said hinge block.

3. In a file, a frame-support, a horizontally disposed rod carried thereby, a plurality of hinge blocks mounted on and turnable about said rod, each of said blocks having a hole therethrough at right-angles to and axially spaced from said rod, and a plurality of cardsupporting frames, each having a downwardly projecting hinge pin engageable with a hole in a hinge block.

4. In a file, a frame-support, a plurality of frames each carrying card-supportin g devices, universally movable hinges, each connecting an upper end of a frame edge to said support, and a stop carried by said frame support engageable by the lower end of said edge.

5. In a file, a frame-support, a frame carrying card supporting device, a universally movable hinge connecting an upper end of a frame edge to said support, and a stop carried by said frame support engageable by the lower end of said edge.

6. In a file, a frame-support, a rod carried thereby, a hinge block mounted on and turnable about said rod, said block having a hole therethrough at right angles to and spaced from said rod, and a card supporting frame having a hinge pin engaging the hole in said hinge block.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

HENRY S. McGEE. 

